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Science students at a North Wales school can look forward to some exhilarating lessons next term as their physics teacher sets off this week to spend the summer at the forefront of world research into the origins of the Universe.

Physics and astronomy specialist, Steffan Llwyd Tudor, 42, will become the first teacher from Wales to be selected for the prestigious three-week summer school at CERN in Switzerland, home of the Large Hadron Collider, the multi-billion pound machine which seeks to simulate the instant following the Big Bang.

CERN which is the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, conducts the most ambitious experiments ever undertaken in the field of particle physics, and Steffan was chosen to study this work first hand as part of the Welsh Government’s Focus on Science campaign, designed to get more young people interested in pursuing scientific careers.

Wales is taking a coveted place in the top summer school for the first time, following the encouragement of Dr Lyn Evans from Aberdare, former Director of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) project, who actively supports the Focus on Science campaign.

Steffan, who is head of physics at Welsh-medium Ysgol Glan Clwyd, Llanelwy, St Asaph, will spend the next three weeks rubbing shoulders with some of the world’s most accomplished experts in his subject, listening to lectures and discussing the findings of the LHC project, which recently began its second round of research in the 27-kilometre long particle-colliding tunnel under the Swiss Alps.

He visited CERN for a few days last year with a party of sixth formers and relishes the opportunity to return for an in-depth look at the cutting edge experiments going on there.

“I feel very very excited because it is such a special place. It really is the top scientific establishment in the world and it just inspires you. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I want to make the most of it,” he said on the eve of his departure for Switzerland.

He said Ysgol Glan Clwyd already had ‘very good numbers’ of young people pursuing the sciences at A level and enrolling in science degree courses. He hopes the knowledge from CERN will help him to encourage even more students to follow this path. “It would be really brilliant if one of our pupils ended up working on a project like that,” he said.

Steffan Llwyd Tudor with his pupils Seren Jones and Megan Jones, both 13

The father of three, who is a former pupil of the Ysgol Glan Clwyd himself, has been a teacher for 15 years and is also a Lead Educator’ with the National Space Academy, which involves going into other schools to give master classes on space-related topics.

He applied for the available place at the CERN summer school back in October and was surprised and delighted to hear in March that he had been chosen.

On his list of priorities for the visit is a quest to understand more fully the properties of the Higgs boson sub-atomic particle and to ask leading scientists about their research on ‘dark matter’ and ‘dark energy,’ two of the enduring mysteries of the Universe.

Energy is something Steffan himself has in plentiful supply. In addition to his extensive educational activities, he plays and coaches rugby in Ruthin where he lives and sings in a local choir.

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Switzerland

Upon his return from the residential course he will not only apply learning from CERN to his own lessons but will share knowledge with other teachers across Wales and prepare teaching materials for their use.

He is particularly proud of the role Dr Lyn Evans has played in the historic LHC project. “It is absolutely great that a Welshman was director of such a project and we need to make more noise about things like that. Wales has contributed so much to science and the more we celebrate that the more young people here will become interested.”

Steffan’s visit follows a four day trip to CERN in February by 16 teachers from across Wales who are now drawing up a report on the experience.

Minister for Education and Skills, Huw Lewis wished Steffan well for the landmark summer school visit. He said: “Enabling a teacher from Wales to spend a significant amount of time with the world’s foremost physicists creates new opportunities for us to encourage more of our young people to study science-related subjects.

"Getting more of them to apply their talents in the different spheres of science and technology is essential for our future success as a nation.”